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All Blacks

Tired Stags run off their feet

Canterbury's game plan to run Southland off their feet worked to perfection when they demolished the Stags 84-0 in Christchurch on Sunday.

Canterbury scored 12 converted tries, seven in the first half, in a match which emphasised the gulf between the leading premiership teams and the mid-table championship sides.

"We knew Southland had had a tough game against Northland on Wednesday and that, if we played at tempo they would feel it in their legs, and that's what happened," Canterbury captain George Whitelock said later.

The game was all over as a contest when Canterbury led 21-0 after the first quarter but they piled on the points and the agony for Southland.

"It was very pleasing," Whitelock said. "To score 84 points against any provincial side is pretty good.

"They were good conditions in which to play expansive rugby. If anything we let our foot off the throat in the third quarter but we finished well so that was pleasing."

It was their biggest loss to Canterbury, eclipsing the 88-21 scoreline they suffered back in 1993.

"We didn't come out to play like that. We were in the game for about the first 10 minutes and that was about it.

"Then the wind picked up in the second spell and that didn't help us. They punished us. It was a very clinical performance by Canterbury.

"Some of our boys will be scratching their heads. We missed far too many tackles. It was our third game in 11 days and we just need to rest up and get some petrol in the tank for the game against Taranaki next week.

"I don't think motivation against Taranaki will be a problem. We were pretty gutted about today."

Canterbury's dominance was almost complete. They off-loaded 28 times to six, made eight line-breaks to none and missed only five tackles while Southland missed 27.

Canterbury's next match is against Northland in Whangarei on Friday night.